How to Propagate a Flowering Dogwood

If you have a favorite flowering dogwood tree you can with little effort produce an almost identical "clone" of the tree by taking cuttings and using simple methods of propagation Propagation through the taking of cuttings offers an advantage over propagation from seeds as the cutting will result in a tree with all the characteristics of the donor tree.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need

• Potting soil
• Sterilized sand
• Rooting compound
• 6-inch clay pot
• Clear plastic wrap

1. Fill the clay pot with equal amounts of potting soil and sterile sand, mixing the two thoroughly together.
2. Take a cutting of 6 to 8 inches in length during the late spring from new growth. You should select only young, vigorous, branches that are green in color as older, woody growth will not root.
3. Remove leaves from the lower two-thirds of the cutting, leaving only the leaves around the crown of the cutting. Use a small knife to gently scrape away 2 inches of the tender outside layer of bark around the perimeter 2 inches from the bottom of the cutting. You will see a light green layer of skin beneath the bark.
4. Dip the end of the cutting into the rooting compound ensuring that the exposed green skin is covered. You can remove any excess compound by gently tapping the cutting with one finger.
5. Using a pencil make a hole 4 inches in depth in the potting soil and insert the cutting in the hole. Take care to center the cutting in order to avoid scraping off the rooting compound. Use your fingers to firmly compress the soil around the cutting. Then slowly water the soil mixture to the point of saturation or until water drains from the bottom of the pot.
6. Cover the pot with a clear, lightweight plastic sheet and secure it to the pot with a large rubber band.
   Place the covered pot in an area that receives partial sun for four to six weeks at which point rooting will have taken place. You should leave the cutting in the rooting pot until new growth is observed on the cutting stem and then you may transplant the cutting to the desired location.

Tips & Warnings

• The potting soil must remain damp and the humidity high during the rooting process. Check weekly to ensure the formation of water droplets on the plastic covering the rooting pot. If no water is present remove the plastic, water the soil and recover the pot.